Beware of Mental Cement with Rajen Sheth

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In this episode, Rajen Sheth, formerly a vice president at Google Cloud AI and industry solutions, shares with host, Ellen Williams, how he took a bold step after nearly two decades at Google. Motivated by a desire to make a positive social impact, he pressed pause on his career, leaving behind the familiar security of his role to explore how technology could improve educational equity. During this hiatus, Rajen reconnected with personal interests—like recording music—and spoke with numerous teachers and experts to better understand educational needs. These conversations, he explains, offered valuable insights and shaped the founding vision for KyronLearning, a public benefit company using AI to provide students with more interactive and accessible instruction. 

In describing his journey, Rajen emphasizes two key reflections that propelled him forward: the importance of waking up every day with a clear sense of purpose, and looking decades ahead to determine whether his work would genuinely leave a positive mark on the world. He also addresses the idea of “mental cement,” the feeling of being stuck in a comfortable career path. By deliberately creating a space to pause—rather than leaping from one role to the next—he found both clarity and courage. With KtronLearning now three years old, Rajen maintains a clear commitment to its mission, demonstrating how pivotal it can be for leaders to step away, reevaluate, and ultimately chart a more meaningful course. 

To learn more about Rajen, visit https://kyronlearning.com/

To learn more about Ellen, visit https://thesalientstrategist.com/